Overview
- Two men, including antiques dealer Matthew Upham, 63, remain unaccounted for after swimmers were swept away during the Budleigh Salterton Christmas Day dip.
- HM Coastguard said extensive shoreline and offshore searches were conducted before the offshore operation was stood down at 5pm on December 25, with police inquiries continuing on land.
- Witnesses reported roughly 6ft waves and gusts up to 65mph under a Met Office yellow wind alert, and emergency teams described the sea state as atrocious.
- Survivor Mike Brown, 60, told the BBC he was dragged to safety by two bystanders and called entering the water a mistake given the conditions.
- The festive dip is an unofficial event without lifeguard cover, and an RNLI lifeboat seen offshore was on a training exercise, as councils and police issued fresh safety warnings; several swimmers were assessed by paramedics and one was taken to hospital.